Helper Couple Injured in U.S. 6 Collision

By RICHARD SHAWStaff reporter

Emergency personnel assist at the scene of a two-vehicle accident near the west Price interchange on Tuesday morning. Price rescue crew members used the jaws of life to extricate a passenger trapped inside one of the pickup trucks involved in the collision. A Helper couple incurred minor injuries in the Sept. 17 mishap.

A two-vehicle accident near the west Price interchange blocked traffic on U.S. Highway 6 on Tuesday morning for nearly an hour.

According to Utah Highway Patrol Trooper David Brinker-hoff, Fiore Callor, age 81 of Helper, was headed westbound on the road at approximately 11 a.m. on Sept. 17 when the motorist realized he needed to go to the hospital.

Callor pulled his Ford pickup off to the right side of the road slightly past where the on ramp ends, waiting to make a U-turn on the paved area west of the overpass, indicated the UHP accident investigator. He reportedly intended to go back to the eastbound off ramp and proceed to Castleview.

But Callor apparently failed to notice a smaller pickup truck driven by 79-year-old Minnie Rojas, also of Helper.

As Callor started to make the left turn, the Rojas vehicle collided with the larger pickup as the Ford crossed into the inside westbound lane.

The impact crushed the left front fender of the Ford and the smaller Chevrolet S-10 headed farther down the highway, where the vehicle came to rest in the middle of the traffic lanes.

Between the two vehicles, both lanes were almost totally blocked by the accident.

Callor was able to get out of his truck, but Rojas incurred minor injuries in the mishap.

Alvero Rojas, 80, a passenger in the Chevrolet pickup, was trapped inside the vehicle and was not able to exit through the left door.

After Mrs. Rojas was removed from the truck, emergency personnel assisting at the scene determined that Mr. Rojas had received some injuries and pried the truck's door open with the jaws of life.

The couple were transported to Castleview Hospital for observation.

"All the occupants in each vehicle were wearing their safety restraints," said Brinkerhoff.

Callor was cited and released from the scene, added the UHP trooper. Callor later checked himself into the hospital for an unspecified reason.

"It's illegal to make a U-turn on U.S. 6 at that point," stated Brinkerhoff. "In fact, the crossovers on the bypass road are only for official use, not for public use."